Bloodstain on Gandhian claim

Darjeeling, May 21: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri denied his party’s role in the killing of ABGL leader Madan Tamang, saying “we do not believe in the politics of violence and killings”.

But after today’s incident, the Morcha will find it increasingly difficult to shake off charges that the party indulged in violence to terrorise its political opponents in the hills as Tamang’s killing is widely being seen as the handiwork of Bimal Gurung’s outfit.

Political leaders pointed to the manner in which the Morcha had prevented the ABGL, the oldest political party in the hills, from holding meetings in Darjeeling several times in the past.

At least on three occasions in the past two years, the woman’s wing of the Morcha had forcibly occupied the podium at Chowk Bazaar, on the days the ABGL had announced its meetings there. The Morcha’s aim was to scuttle the ABGL programmes anyhow.

Even the meeting that was to be held today was originally meant to be organised on May 15 but had to be postponed to May 19 as the Morcha had called its weekend strike. But even on May 19, the Nari Morcha, the women’s wing of the Morcha, prevented the ABGL from carrying on with its public meeting as it announced its own rally that day. Even today’s rally was to be held at Chowk Bazaar but had to be relocated to the Clubside motor stand as the Morcha had occupied the podium there.

“It was clear that the Morcha was opposed to the ABGL holding a public meeting,” said R.B. Rai, general secretary of the CPRM and a former Darjeeling MP. “It is the same case with the other hill parties opposed to the Morcha.”

“The murder of a prominent leader from Darjeeling is a climax of the lawlessness prevailing here and has exposed how the Morcha’s claims of adhering to Gandhian philosophy are false. The murder of a prominent leader must be condemned by everyone,” said Rai.

Political leaders also pointed out that every time the Morcha had indulged in violence it had blamed it on the “spontaneous reaction of emotionally charged people” and had distanced itself from the incidents. However, few from the opposition camp are willing to believe the Morcha’s “Gandhian claims” any longer.

“My house was burnt and I have not been able to stay in Kurseong. Do they still want to talk about Gandhian philosophy? I as a people’s representative and also a member of the GNLF demand that a CBI inquiry be started to probe the death of Madan Tamang,” said Shanta Chhetri, MLA from Kurseong.

On April 23, Hijjan Thapa, president of the Morcha’s trade union from Chungthung, had blamed Morcha cadres for killing his brother Pusha Jung Thapa, for allegedly being a GNLF supporter. The Morcha had also come in for much criticism following the death of one Tikaram Chhetri, a former ward commissioner from Kalimpong last week.